Blog + Buzz: Keeping You Informed & Inspired
The time for putting energy, enthusiasm and commitment towards creating a new environmental paradigm is long overdue. From poisoning marine life to the presence of plastics in our food to the substantial increase of global greenhouse gas omissions causing climate change, the exponential growth of pollution is threatening our planet’s survival.
Thankfully, a special day was created to educate and activate the environmental movement worldwide. Established in 1970, Earth Day takes place annually on April 22, with many people extending the celebrating to make it Earth Week. This year, CPL joined in on the celebration to learn more about the environment and the problems we face, as well as take small steps towards making a positive difference.
CPL kicked off Earth Week by participating in a Lunch n’ Learn presentation with Mark Noll, Ph.D., a Professor at SUNY Brockport. Noll lead an insightful discussion on microplastics and how they are becoming an environmental contaminant.
Single-use plastics (ie. bottles and bags), also known as macroplastics, are one of the most prevalent types of marine debris found in our oceans and rivers. During his lecture, Noll explained that only 9% of the macroplastics we consume are recycled, with the rest ending up in landfills. Over time, those plastics photodegrade (break down due to heating) and create microplastics, which are less than five millimeters in length (about the size of a sesame seed).
Microplastics are typically suspended in water and can be transported very easily, a process called facilitated transport. As a result, they can interact with contaminants such as gas, oil and heavy metal, and eventually find their way into the food chain.
Marketing team member, Christine Campbell, said the lecture opened her eyes to just how harmful these tiny pieces of pollution can be.
“We all knew that plastic pollution was a problem,” Campbell said. “But I had no idea that these small bits of plastic have been seeping into our soil, fish and air for years, and are posing a serious threat to both animal and human health.”
While images of beach litter and large floating debris may be the first problem that comes to mind, Noll placed emphasis on how these microplastic particles, too small to be easily detected by eye, are likely the most numerically abundant items of plastic debris in the ocean today.
“I walked away from the discussion feeling that we can’t just be concerned about the pollution we see,” Campbell added. “We also need to worry about what we don’t see and do our part to reduce, reuse and recycle.”
In the spirit of reusing, CPL held a Dish Drive during the week to reduce the use of paper products and disposable plastic in the office. Team members were encouraged to look through their kitchen cupboards and drawers to see what they no longer use at home.
Opting to utilize products that are designed for multiple uses and making sure nothing gets thrown away before its usefulness is spent is an effective way to drastically reduce one’s plastic pollution footprint. CPL’s Dish Drive successfully yielded tons of plates, bowls and silverware, helping us reduce the amount of waste we generate.
To further eliminate waste, CPL celebrated “No Waste Wednesday” and challenged team members to create zero waste for a day. An ambitious task to accomplish, team members started their day off drinking coffee in travel mugs and CPL coffee cups. They also stayed hydrated throughout the day filling up their CPL water bottles instead of buying single-use bottles.
Additionally, team members were encouraged to create zero waste by using Adobe or Bluebeam instead of printing. With discarded paper representing a major portion of many landfill sites, finding ways like this to decrease the use of paper helps reduce paper pollution and the severe adverse effects it has on the environment.
From “No Waste Wednesday” to “Service Day Thursday,” CPL continued the Earth Week celebration by donating gently used clothes to charities including Dress for Success and Angels of Mercy.
In 2015, more than 16 million tons of textile waste was generated, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. Of this amount, 2.62 million tons were recycled, 3.14 million tons were combusted for energy recovery, and 10.46 million tons were sent to the landfill. With the average American throwing away approximately 80 pounds of used clothing per person per year, CPL was proud be part of the solution and recycle our old clothing.
One more act of service included the donation of a tree to the West Irondequoit High School in Rochester, NY. It’s no secret that trees help the environment, but the amount of benefits that planting trees can provide may be surprising. Besides producing oxygen, trees can reduce ozone levels in urban areas, remove carbon dioxide from the air, and absorb sound resulting in less noise pollution.
As this year’s Earth Week comes to an end, our efforts to solving climate change, ending plastic pollution and protecting endangered species should not. It’s important to continually activate the environmental movement across the globe, and CPL is eager to do our part.
Michelle Draghi
Michelle manages and coordinates CPL’s digital content from social media, blogs and e-newsletters to the firm's website and intranet. She brings high energy, focus and advanced writing skills, which enable her to produce relevant content to inform, inspire and enhance CPL's brand awareness and value propositions.